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Junior Instructors - Job Description

Junior Instructors should be motivated and experienced sailors who are entering 8th grade (minimum age 13) or above. Applicants must have completed at least four years of sailing instruction with an organized sailing program. First and foremost, Junior Instructors are there to assist the instructors in teaching sailing and modeling appropriate behavior, care of boats and club property. This is a job position, not a time to socialize with friends or hang out on the ramp to the Opti dock. The focus is on the younger sailors that you are helping and how you can assist the instructor in making the beginner sailing experience as positive as possible.

  1. MOST IMPORTANT JOB = POSITIVE ROLE MODEL
  2. Follow instructions of instructors and/or other adult sailing leaders.
  3. Attributes expected: be on time, stay on task, be courteous, and work well with younger children.
  4. Take the initiative to discuss ideas/things that you observe with the instructors after class.
  5. Be interested in assisting younger sailors to rig and derig their boats (this does not mean do it for them, it means help them to team up in groups and facilitate). It does mean lifting boats on/off opti racks, helping to tighten sprits, replacing missing mast or boom ties, etc.
  6. Junior Instructors may be given groups of Optimist sailors to lead in rigging races, knot tying and other games.
  7. Be comfortable getting into an Optimist and sailing it with the younger sailor, demonstrating on the water drills such as where to sit in the boat, roll tacks, and capsizing.
  8. On the water, Junior Instructors can help Instructors by making sure the class stays together and aiding in set up of drills and racing.
  9. Junior Instructors are expected at all times to demonstrate appropriate behavior on and off the water, as well as being role models for the younger sailors. Specifically, this means no bad or angry language. It also means saying “hi” by name to all the young sailors so that they know they are special.

Job Specifics

  1. Junior Instructors will be given credit for Volunteer Hours or paid $15 per day. No Junior Instructors will receive credit or be paid for days when they are absent, whatever the reason, or days where camp is cancelled due to weather or public holidays.
  2. It is expected that you are committed to being a Junior Instructor as you are an important resource for the program. Please advise the Junior Sailing Director or Head Instructor of absences as far in advance as possible, to allow scheduling. Serious consideration as to the extent of your schedule outside of sailing should be made before committing the necessary time to also be a JI.
    Note: Being a Junior Instructor is a great experience for Juniors who may be interested in being an instructor in the future
  3. The program aims to have 8 JI’s working every day that the program is running. However in order to achieve this, a larger roster is carried to enable JI’s to take time for their own racing schedule. A work schedule is worked out by the Sailing Director before the program begins.
  4. There will be an informal meeting with the Instructors DATE TBD

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